I need a fast growing hedge for privacy.
Plants grown in a pot can be planted at any time of the year.Those planted during the growing season in March to October will have to be watered more than those planted in the late autumn, winter or early spring.
Between 2 and 3 feet (60-90 cm) apart, all types of laurel should be planted.If you are willing to wait a bit longer, you will get just as dense a hedge if you plant your plants 3ft apart.A good compromise is 2'6′′ apart.
It's important to plant your hedge correctly to make sure they survive and grow quickly.You can get a detailed guide of how to do it on our page.
The growth rate of plants depends on a number of factors, including their location in the country, soil type, whether they are in sun or shade, and more.The different types of laurel will grow under ideal conditions, such as a sheltered site in full sun, with a good fertile soil and plenty of water.
The common and cherry trees are up to 60 cm (2ft) per year.
It's probably the best hedging plant to grow in shade.They are planted under tree canopies in large estate gardens.All types of laurel will grow well in the sun.
If you have enough space, plant 3-4ft from a wall or fence so you can access the other side of the hedge.If you don't have a lot of space, you can plant as close as 18 inches from a wall or fence, but it may be necessary for you to trim off branches on the fence side as it could push into and damage it.Light won't get to the fence side of the hedge once it becomes dense, so it will not cause a problem.When the hedge reaches the light, it will grow over the fence or wall into your neighbours garden, so you may need to trim it.
If planted correctly, larger plants will form a hedge much quicker than smaller plants.
You can keep your hedge narrow if you trim it every year.It is easier to keep narrow than it is to widen.
As the hedge is establishing, trim a few inches off the tops of the shoots, and laurel will respond by producing 3 or more new branches for every one you trim off.As a result of trimming, she likes to have her bushes out.
When the plants have stopped growing, bare- root laurel are dug up in the winter.The soil is washed away.There is usually a high proportion of losses when planting bare- root laurel.The plants can only be planted in November to March.
The laurel are dug from the field with a ball of soil around the roots.A piece of hessian is wrapped around a ball of soil to hold it together.The roots of hedging plants can be re-established in the soil when the tops of the plants start growing, as they do not produce new leaves until well into spring.We pot up hundreds of plants each year and don't lose any of them.The plants can only be planted in November and March.
Plants grown in pots can be planted at any time of the year.As they get bigger, they are grown in pots and potted up every year.Plants are dug from the field and put into a pot.The containerised plant can be planted at any time of the year as long as they are watered during the growing season.
If you would prefer to look at alternatives, please see the Alternative to Laurel page.
As the hedge will produce new shoots very quickly at this time of year, it is a good idea to trim it in late spring or early summer.Secateurs can be used on a small hedge or a larger hedge.
A hedge needs to be trimmed once a year.Late spring or early summer is the best time to peck.
We recommend either reducing the height of the hedge to a manageable height or using a safe platform such as a Henchman Hi-Step.
It will re-shoot quickly if you cut it hard in the late spring or early summer.All types of laurel can be reduced in height and width.If the weather is hot or the soil is dry, don't cut it back hard.
You can cut the trees back to the stump and it will shoot again.This will re-shoot if you want to trim the sides back hard.If you do it at this time of year, any brown branches will soon be covered in new shoots, so it is best done in late spring.
The cherry laurel maze was cut back to the base a number of years ago because it became overgrown.The maze is now a fresh looking one.
It is possible but you will need to remove the conifers and then dig a trench 2ft wide by 2 feet deep.The trench will have to be filled with good quality top soil as the soil being removed will be matted with roots.
These are symptoms of dry weather.Even a few days of dry weather can cause leaves to turn yellow.The leaves will turn yellow quickly.
If newly planted laurel are not watered enough during the growing season, leaves will turn yellow and fall off quickly.Push your hand into the soil or rootball of the plant every few days to see how wet it is.It should be moist at all times.Water the soil around your plants if it starts to dry out.It is a good idea to water the plants and let them sink into the soil before watering them again.If the plants are wet, repeat this many times.Plants can die in a hot spell if the roots are not allowed to dry out.If laurel is planted in the late autumn, winter or early spring, it will have a chance to develop a root system before the soil dries out, but they need to be watered regularly for the first growing season.
The roots of a plant will rot if they are wet.If you dig one up, you can smell a rotting smell.Plants will look as if they are suffering from a lack of water if the roots rot.If the soil is not draining well and you have been giving your plants too much water, this can lead to flooding.It may be necessary to dig the plants up and break up the bottom of the hole if the soil is too dense.
Stop watering your plants if you have been over- watering.If the soil is wet, give the plants some water, but if it is starting to dry out, don't water it.
It sounds like they are having a hard time establishing their roots.They may have been planted poorly or have not been watered correctly.If conditions are difficult, some plants will die before others.Before more plants die, it is important to identify and fix the problem.There is a page on Establishing a Laurel Hedge.
This sounds like a disease.It won't kill the hedge.You can find more information on Powdery Mildew on our page.
The most likely cause is a disease that attacks plants.Plants may not be getting enough water as they grow bigger if the roots are restricted.
You don't have to get planning permission to plant a hedge, but some properties have special Covenants that can be used to determine whether or not you can.The details of any Covenants will be on the deeds of your property.
Before trimming the plants, it is a good idea to have a quick chat with your neighbour.They might be able to trim the hedge back for you.
You have the right to trim the hedge back if they won't.In the eyes of the law, the trimmings are the property of your neighbour so you should ask them what they want you to do with them, don't just throw them back over into their garden as it may cause problems with neighbourly relations.
The seeds of Prunus lusitanica are poisonous to livestock and can cause stomach upset if eaten by humans.The flowers and berries are rarely seen when the hedge is trimmed.There are no reported cases of serious problems associated with laurel hedging and humans.Where sheep and other livestock can eat the leaves should not be planted.
A is the most harmful and C the least harmful when it comes to Prunus laurocerasus and lusitanica.There are other plants in category C.Foxgloves are more harmful than Cherry.